Metallic packing.



No. Sabam.. 'Pitman Nov. 6, mun.

w. H. PnENnEnGAsT.

METALLIC PAcKme.

(Application led Jan; 19, 1900.3 (Nn Model.)

/N VEN TOI? WPre/zcZf/yaaif A Tron/v5 Ys Non STATES ATE t Prion.

WILLIAM HENRY PRENDERGAST, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO'IIIEODORE D. KLINE, OF SAME PLACE.

METALLIC PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 661,384, datedNovember 6. 1900. AppCaOll led January I9, 1900. Serial'No. 2,027. (Nomodel.;

T all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, VILLIAM HENRY PREN- DERGAST, residing at Savannah, inthe co nnty of Chatham and State of Georgia, have made certain new anduseful Improvements in Metallic Packings, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improvement in metallic packing for use onpiston-rods, in air- Io pumps, and in other locations Where a tightdurable packing is desired; and the invention consists in certain novelconstructions and combinations of parts, as Will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

I5 In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional View of a portion ofacylinder-head and packing-box provided With my improvement. Fie". 2 isan edge View, and Fig. 3 a side View, representing a pair ofpacking-rings embodying zo my invention. Fig. A is a perspective'view ofthe spring-plate with the attached springs. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of. one of the sections of the packing-ring. Fig. 6 isa detail perspective view illustrating one end of one of theequalizingplates and the spring for engagement therewith, and Fig. 7illustrates a slightly-different construction by which the packingringsections may be spring-actuated.

3o In the construction shown in Fig. l, A may represent the head of acylinder, and B a packing-box held t-hereto by bolts C and packed atD inany suitable manner. The piston-rod E plays through the head A and boxB, and upon this rod E, I lit the packingrings F, the spring-plate G,and the universal sections H II. The sections H and II have a ball andsocket joint at their cont-acting edges to permit a slight rocking, asmay 4o be necessary to compensate for vibration or displacement of thepiston-rod. The outer side of the ring H' is flat to rest squarelyagainst the square inner face of the box B, and the inner face of thering H is (iat to lit squarely against the packingring, which abutsagainst it. The packing-rings F are alike and are each composed of anumber of similar sections I, Whichare formed as shown in Fig. 5 andapplied together, as shown in 5o Fig. 3, to form a complete ring. Thesections I have their inner edges curved on the arc of a circle at I andtheir outer edges similarly curved at I2. At one end the section I has aprojecting tongue I3, which extends from one end at itsouter side and isformed to ft in a corresponding recess in the upper rear end oftheadjoining section. Thuseach section I is formed at its outer side with atongue projecting from one end and a recess in its other end fitted toreceive such tongue. 6o By making the sections alike one can be readilyreinovcd and another inserted in its place, or they may be interchaugedto secure an even wear or forother purposes, as may be desired.

An equalizing-plate J is tted over each ring and extendscircumferentially, with its ends comparatively near together. These endsof the equalizing-plates are arranged for engagement by the ends of thesprings K, 7o presently described, and this is preferably ei"- fected byproviding the ends of the equalizing-plate .I with pockets at J', formedby returning the said ends of the plates J, as is best shown in Figs. 2,3, and 6. The springs K extend circnmferentially along their respectiveequalizing-piates and engage at their ends in the pockets J', as will beunderstood from Figs. 2, 3, and G. By the described construction thespring exerts a tension which 8o the equalizingplate transmits to thesectional ring uniformly throughout the circumference of the ring. Ithus secure an even pressure upon the sections of the packing ringsandreduce wear by securingan even distribution of the packing-pressure.

As indicated in Fig. 3, in which the sections of one packing-ring areindicated in full lines and those of the next ring in dotted lines, thejoints of the sections of the adjoin- 9o ing packing-rings arestaggered. To lnaintain the rings in this relation, I provide aconnecting-pin L, which, as shown in Figs. l and 3, is arranged near theouter edges of the rings and extends between and connects the rings, asshown in Fig. l, so the said rings cannot rotate independently. Bypreference the pin L is secured in grooves formed in the outer edges ofthe packing-rings, being held in place by the overlying equalizingtooplates, as is best shown in Figs. l and 3. The pin L is preferablyformed to .fit the square or non-circular grooves in the periphery ofthe rings, the pin being thus held from rolling out of place. V

The spring-plate G fits on the piston-rod and rests at its outer edge Gfiat against the innermost packing-ring F. At its inner side the ring Gis provided With the spring-plates G2, which are secured at a pointbetween their ends at G3 to the ring, With their ends detlected, so theyWill bear uniformly against the endof the chest A.

The plate G is rabbeted, as shown in Fig. 4, forming the shoulder G4,against Which the deflected ends ofthe spring bear., so they cannot turnout of position, and the spring being double-ended and secured at thecenter has no tendency to tear the head off the rivet that securesit inplace. This spring-plate G operates to keep the packing quiet When theen'- gine is rolling, and by the special construc.

tion of such plate this rolling action does not tend to displace thesprings thereon.

The sections of my packing-rings being exact counterparts of veach otherand not requiring to be cut or turned, I avoid the necessity formachine-Work, and the sections can be kept in stock and used at amoments notice.

My packing, as will be understood, is set down by steam, the pressurevarying as to the Work required, so that When steam is shut off thepacking Will relax and remain frictionless while the engine is rollingdownhill, and the action of the rod will have no tendency to disturb thepacking.

In'Fig. 7 I show a somewhat-different arrangement for setting thepacking down on the rod, which may be used in air-pump stuffing-boxes orin other location Where there is not sufiicient space to applyequalizing-plates and springs K. Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y l. In apacking substantially as described, the combination of the packing-ringsections, the equalizing-plate fitting over the said sections andextending circumferentially of the packing-ring, and the spring fittingover and extending circumferentially along the equalizcr-plate andengaged at its ends With such plate adjacent to the ends of the latter.

2. In a packing substantially as described the combination, of theuniversal sections having a ballandsocket joint at their contactingedges, the packing-rings composed o f sections fitted together, theequalizing-plates fitting over the ring-sections and extendingcircumferentially of the ring, Athe springs fitting over and extendingcircumferentially along the equalizing-plates and engaged at its endswith such plates adjacent to the ends of the latter, and thespring-plate provided With springs and adapted to exert pressure againsttheface of the packing-rings substantially as set forth.

3. In a packing substantially as described, the combination ofthepacking-ring sections and the equalizing-plate fitting over theringsections and having pocket-like seats at its yends and the springfitting over the equalizing-plateA and engaged at its ends in thepocket-like seats of the equalizing-ring.

4. In a packing, a plurality of rings fitted side by side and composedof sections fitting together to form their rings, the joints of thesections of one ring being staggered With respect to the next, and suchrings being provided in theirperipheries With alined non-circulargrooves, and a pin extending between said rings and fitted to and insaid grooves substantially as set forth.

5. In a packing substantially as described the combination ofthepacking-ring sections, the equalizing-plate fitting circumferentially onthe packing-ring and having its ends separated vand spaced apart, andspring devices exerting a tension directly on said ends of the plate inadirection to press such ends toward each other substantially as setforth.

6. In a packing substantially as set forth the combination of thepacking-rings fitted side by side and composed of sections, the jointsof the sections of the adjoining rings being staggered, and said ringsbeing provided in their outer edges with grooves, the pin fitting insaid grooves and connecting the adjoining packing-rings, and theequalizingplates fitting on their respective rings and over the groovesand pin therein substantially as set forth.

7. In a packing substantially as described, a spring-supporting platewhich is rabbeted forming a projecting shoulder, and springs held tosaid plate alongside said shoulder, such springs being held at theirmiddles to the plate and having their ends defiected and bearingedgewise between their ends and middles against the said projectingshoulder and the packing devices substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM HENRY PRENDERGAS'I.

Witnesses:

L. M. NoRWooD, GEO. W. BEoKETT.

